Honestly, it has been a brutal couple of months for Greg McDermott and the folks in Omaha. If you’ve been following the Big East at all this season, you know that the Creighton basketball injury report isn't just a list of names; it’s basically a shifting puzzle that changes every time the bus pulls up to a new arena.
Coming into the 2025-26 season, expectations were sky-high for a roster that looked rebuilt but dangerous. Then the medical news started dropping. It wasn't just a twisted ankle here or a flu bug there. We’re talking about significant, season-altering hits to the rotation that have forced the coaching staff to get, well, pretty creative.
The Jackson McAndrew Situation and the Frontcourt Hole
The biggest blow? That would be Jackson McAndrew.
Losing a guy who set the freshman record for three-pointers (69 of them!) is a gut punch. He was supposed to be the breakout star of the year. Instead, a nagging foot injury that started in the preseason just wouldn't let up. After trying to gut it out through four games—where he was clearly limited, shooting way below his usual clip—McDermott finally made the call in late November to shut him down for the year.
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It’s a tough break. McAndrew was a Preseason Third-Team All-Big East selection. Now, he’s looking at a long road back for the 2026-27 season. But he isn't the only big man on the shelf. Josh Townley-Thomas has been dealing with a lower-leg issue, and Liam McChesney has been in and out of the lineup with undisclosed "nags."
Basically, the depth that looked like a strength in October has become a massive question mark by mid-January.
Owen Freeman’s Long Road Back
If you’re looking for a silver lining, keep an eye on Owen Freeman. The Iowa transfer came in with a lot of hype, but a knee injury and subsequent surgery kept him from being "the guy" early on.
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Coach Mac has been pretty transparent about this: Freeman isn't going to look like his old self until probably February. He’s been getting minutes—about 13 here, 15 there—but you can see him laboring. He hasn't played a full-speed game since January of last year. That kind of rust doesn't just flake off in a week. It’s a process.
Current Creighton Basketball Injury Report (Mid-January 2026)
The roster is a bit of a moving target right now. Here is the breakdown of who is currently sidelined or "less than 100%" as of the latest updates:
- Jackson McAndrew (F): Out for the season (Foot). Surgery recovery is the focus now.
- Josh Townley-Thomas (F): Questionable. The lower-leg injury has kept him mostly sidelined since late November.
- Jasen Green (F): Playing through it. He’s been battling a shoulder issue and most recently tweaked an ankle in the loss at Providence. He’s "important to us," says McDermott, so expect him to keep logging minutes unless the ankle swells up too much.
- Liam McChesney (F): Questionable/Day-to-Day. Undisclosed issues have limited his availability recently.
- Aleksa Dimitrijevic (C): Out. Taking a redshirt year to develop.
Why This Matters for the Big East Race
You’ve probably seen the box scores lately. Austin Swartz has had to go absolutely nuclear—like that 33-point masterpiece against Georgetown—just to keep the Jays in games.
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When you lose a 6'10" sniper like McAndrew and your primary interior transfers are hobbled, the math changes. Creighton is playing smaller than they'd like. They’re relying on the perimeter more than ever. It’s fun to watch when the shots are falling, but it’s a high-wire act.
The lack of depth in the frontcourt is also showing up on the glass. In the recent loss to Providence, the rebounding numbers were... let's just say, not great. Without McAndrew and a fully healthy Freeman, the Bluejays are susceptible to teams with physical, veteran bigs.
What to Watch Moving Forward
The next two weeks are huge. With Marquette and Georgetown on the horizon, the Jays need bodies. If Jasen Green's ankle holds up and Owen Freeman can jump from 15 minutes to 25, the season stays on track. If the Creighton basketball injury report continues to grow, McDermott might have to dive even deeper into his bench than anyone expected.
If you’re a fan, the move is to keep a close eye on the pre-game "Availability Reports" that the Big East mandates. Those are usually released a couple of hours before tip-off.
To stay ahead of the curve, watch the warm-up routines for Jasen Green and Owen Freeman specifically. Their lateral movement and "spring" will tell you more about the Bluejays' chances than any post-game press conference. Also, pay attention to the minutes for Isaac Traudt; he’s the one who has to shoulder the shooting load with McAndrew out. Keeping track of these rotations is the only way to gauge if this team is actually getting healthy or just surviving.